


Things Just Keep Getting Better.

by mimimortis



Series: The Sowlmates Chronicles [9]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Bokuto Week 2020, Dogs, Domestic Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Hijinks & Shenanigans, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:40:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26328805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mimimortis/pseuds/mimimortis
Summary: Bokuto is followed home by a stray dog and he decides that he wants to keep it, so he enlists the help of Kuroo to make sure the dog is presentable before Akaashi comes home.--Bokuto:But seriously, I need your helpKuroo:Oho ho, what’s upBokuto:You’ll see when I get to the apartmentBokuto:You aren’t allergic to dogs, are you?Kuroo:WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH A DOG BRO?
Relationships: Bokuto Koutarou & Kuroo Tetsurou, background Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, background Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou
Series: The Sowlmates Chronicles [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1857142
Kudos: 118
Collections: Bokuto Week 2020





	Things Just Keep Getting Better.

**Author's Note:**

> I would like to thank [ambini42](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ambini42/) for the beta read as well as my betrothed, future-wife for his lovely input to add more Bokuto/dog shenanigans
> 
> This may be slightly OOC Kuroo, and I apologize, but I hope you still enjoy the read :)

Bokuto was happy—like extremely happy. He had finished another season with the MSBY Black Jackals; the addition of Sakusa Kiyoomi and Miya Atsumu had made the team almost unstoppable. He had also been chosen to be on the Japan national volleyball team for the upcoming Olympics, which meant he would be in Tokyo while he trained, and being in Tokyo meant that he got to live with his boyfriend—Akaashi Keiji—and his best bro—Kuroo Tetsurou. Bokuto couldn’t think how his life could get any better than this...

Okay, well maybe if he and Akaashi could always live together, but that was the only thing. Well, that and if he could tell the world that he loved Akaashi. So two things...  _ But _ his life was pretty close to perfect. He had his dream of the Olympics becoming a reality  _ and _ he had his soulmate.

Needless to say, Bokuto was joyful as he walked down the streets of Tokyo to the apartment that was equidistant from Kuroo and Akaashi’s universities. It was that pleasant mood that led him to forget the wise words of Akaashi, who had told him time and time again to not feed stray animals as they were likely to follow him home. Therefore, when Bokuto saw the sad eyes of a stray dog in an alleyway, he couldn’t help but share his happiness—and food—in hopes of cheering up the animal.

Icy blue eyes adorned the gray and black dog, though Bokuto suspected some gray was actually dirtied white fur. Despite it’s rufian appearance, the dog welcomed Bokuto’s hand as he crouched down to pet between its ears, reciprocating the friendly gesture by licking his jeans. The dog sniffed Bokuto curiously, his hand leaving scratches along its body as it maneuvered around him. It nuzzled it’s wet nose against his bag, locating the bag of chips Bokuto had opened during the train ride from Osaka. Bokuto retrieved the bag and emptied the contents onto the ground.

After a few more scratches behind its ear while the dog ate, Bokuto got up to continue his walk home. It wasn’t until the first crosswalk that he realized the dog was following close behind him. Bokuto swore he saw the dog smile as she calmly stood at his heels, tail wagging rhythmically. He decided that the best way to lose the dog was to confuse it. He jogged across the street and along the sidewalk. Bokuto kept his feet steady against the pavement, choosing at the last moment to turn onto a side street and break out in a sprint. He weaved his way through various alleys before he stopped at the intersection of a busy street.

“Arf!” The bark came from behind him, and Bokuto groaned in defeat, turning to face the animal.

“Doggo! You can’t come home with me, I’m sorry. If I take you home, Akaashi will say he told me so, and then he’ll tell me that we don’t have money for a dog. So, you have to stop following me.”

The dog sat, periodically shifting it’s head from one side to the other as Bokuto talked. When he finished, it jumped up on him. “Arf! Arf!”

Bokuto gently pushed the dog back down. He repositioned his bag across his back and sprinted through the nearby park, attempting once again to lose the dog. However, the dog kept up with him, running by his side, mouth open and tongue flopping in the wind. Bokuto halted, and the dog overshot before running back to lie in front of Bokuto’s feet. It looked up at Bokuto, resting its head on top of its paws, tail wagging slowly across the grass. It seemed to be asking him why he had stopped.

“Don’t give me that look! I would love to take you home, trust me, but I know Akaashi will tell me we don’t have time to take care of a dog. He’s very busy, you know, and I’m very busy and Kuroo is… probably also very busy.” 

The dog perked up, resting on its hind legs and bringing its arms up to beg. “Arf!” 

“You’re making this hard.” The dog continued to beg, keeping eye contact on Bokuto. They stared at each other for a moment before he started to cave.

“I’m going to be in so much trouble,” Bokuto said to himself as he pulled out his phone.

##### Conversation with Kubro:

Are you home??<<

>>Yes I am, my bro  
>>Did you forget your keys in Osaka?

Noooo!!!<<  
THAT HAPPENED ONE TIME BRO!!<<  
But seriously I need your help<<

>>Oho ho, what’s up

You’ll see when I get to the apartment<<  
You aren’t allergic to dogs are you?<<

>>WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH A DOG BRO?!

“Ready to go home?” Bokuto asked the dog and received another bark as a response.

Albeit by an unconventional route, Bokuto ended up a mere five minutes from the apartment, so it was a fast walk. When they were a few meters from the door, Bokuto realized that he couldn’t just waltz into the building with the dog. He vaguely remembered being told that only cats and small dogs were allowed in the building back when he and Kuroo had originally looked into the place, and the dog following him back was at least medium sized. Bokuto squatted on the ground and faced the dog“Ready to go home?” Bokuto asked the dog and received another bark as a response.

“Alright...boy?” The dog cocked its head to the side and gave Bokuto an odd look. “Girl?” 

“Arf!” The dog crouched and wagged her tail before jumping onto Bokuto.

“Shhhh. Okay, I need you to be super quiet and to stay super calm.”

Bokuto scooped up the dog and held her against his chest, pulling his MSBY jacket over the lump of dog. He placed an arm around his stomach to keep the large, oddly shaped mound underneath his jacket in position. Bokuto pushed an ear that had popped up from the collar back down, making sure his jacket was zipped up as much as possible for good measure. His eyes glanced nervously around before entering the building.

The entrance was empty as Bokuto called the elevator. The dog squirmed under his jacket, and Bokuto shushed her. When the elevator doors opened, he stepped in and repeatedly pressed ‘close door’ after hitting the faded ‘3.’ Luckily, he did not see anyone as he made his way to his apartment door. Bokuto fumbled with his key, shifting his weight to open the door and step inside. As the door closed behind him, Kuroo called from the other room.

“Bro, what-” Kuroo stepped into the entryway as Bokuto unzipped his jacket. The dog leapt off Bokuto’s chest and crashed into him, knocking Kuroo to the floor. Bokuto dropped his bag and kicked his shoes off as he stumbled to help his friend. The dog was pinning Kuroo to the ground, whose face was being licked.

“So so sorry bro,” Bokuto said, pulling the dog off Kuroo.

“Where did you find that dog? An alleyway?” Kuroo asked, standing up and attempting to brush off the dirty paw marks on his t-shirt.

“Well, actually..."

“You seriously brought home a stray? Akaashi is not going to be happy.”

Bokuto looked at his friend with large sad eyes, the dog in his arms followed suit.

“Stop, don’t look at me like that, bro,” Kuroo said, trying to look away, but he had to admit the dog and Bokuto were very cute. Together, they were almost a deadly combo, and as annoying as Bokuto could be, Kuroo felt himself growing weak at the puppy dog eyes. The two kept up the stare for another minute, waiting for him to crack. 

“Gaaahhh! Fine! We can keep the dog for now, but first it needs a bath.”

“ _ It _ is a  _ she _ ,” Bokuto said.

“Did you check?” Kuroo asked.

“No, I asked her.” Kuroo gave Bokuto a questioning look. “What? She’s very smart.”

Kuroo did not feel like arguing with him on whether or not the dog had understood what he had asked, or if a dog could even understand the concept of gender. 

“Just get  _ her _ ready for a bath,” Kuroo said.

Bokuto strutted down the hall, the dog mimicking him along his side. In the bathroom, Bokuto prompted her to sit, which, to his surprise, she did. She watched him curiously as he turned the knobs on the tub and water started to run from the spout.

“Do you think we should use shampoo or body wash to clean her?” Bokuto asked when Kuroo slid the bathroom door open.

“Neither, she isn’t a  _ human _ ,” Kuroo emphasized as he set down a towel, a couple bowls, and dish soap.

“Well, she isn’t  _ dishware _ either,” Bokuto said, gesturing to the soap.

“We don’t have any dog shampoo, so this is what we are going to have to use,  _ aaand  _ the internet told me it was okay as long as we dilute it.”

Bokuto took Kuroo’s word for it; after all, out of the two of them, Kuroo was the smart one. He returned to preparing the bath, testing the water to make sure it was a lukewarm. Then, Bokuto prompted the dog to jump in the tub, which she did and in the process splashed water onto the pair. Kuroo gave Bokuto an annoyed look, pulling at the wet t-shirt clinging to his skin.

“Did you have to tell her to jump into the tub?” Kuroo asked.

“I wasn’t really thinking, but she did it. I think she’s really smart, just like ‘Kaashi.” Bokuto smiled wide at his friend before returning to the task at hand. 

The two of them worked together to pour water over the dog, grime loosening from her fur, dirtying the water. Everything went smoothly until the dog decided that she was done. She leapt from the tub past them, sprinting out the bathroom door.

“I thought you closed the door!” Bokuto exclaimed, looking at the trail of water and soap she had left in her wake.

“I thought you said she was smart,” Kuroo retorted.

The two men quickly got up from where they knelt and ran after the dog, who had already run wet circles around the coffee table in the living room and was leaving another trail as she ran to the kitchen. When they attempted to corner her from either side of the table, she slipped underneath, running past them. After ten minutes of attempting—and failing—to catch the dog, they decided the best tactic was to just let the dog come to them.

“Maybe we could bribe her. Do you think she likes mochi?” Bokuto asked, shoving a mochi into his own mouth.

“You can’t feed a dog mochi.”

“Why not? She liked the chips I gave her earlier.”

Kuroo looked at his friend in disbelief. “You can’t feed a dog chips! Dogs eat dog food, not human food.”

“But in all the movies you see little kids feeding dogs the vegetables from their plate,” Bokuto said.

The dog noticed that the two friends were no longer paying attention to her, so she entered the kitchen to lay down at their feet, wagging her tail, her head on her paws as she looked up.

“You shouldn’t learn how to take care of a dog from a movie. Have you ever known anyone who owned a dog before?”

“Yeah, my cousins owned a dog and when they came to visit, I would always take him for walks and play with him.”

“Arf!” The dog jumped to her feet to crouch down with a few tail wags before repeating the action with a hop.

“But do you have any idea what day-to-day dog care is like? Getting the right food, training, taking them to the vet for check-ups, stuff like that,” Kuroo questioned.

“I can learn, and you and Akaashi will also be here to-”

“Arf Arf!” Tired of waiting, the dog jumped up between them, interrupting their conversation.

“Hey hey hey! Look at that. She came back,” Bokuto said, picking up the dog, soaking his own shirt in soapy water as he did.

“Great, now you finish washing her and I will clean up the mess she made out here,” Kuroo said, waving at the soapy mess she had made around the apartment. He watched as Bokuto took the happy dog back to the bathroom before he added, “And close the door this time!”

“You’re the one who forgot bro!”

The second half of the bath went smoothly, and Bokuto felt very proud as he dried the dog off with the towel. Now clean, Bokuto confirmed that her fur was indeed shades from white to black. The various patches across her muzzle created almost a freckle effect, increasing the intensity of her blue eyes.

“You know, my Keiji also has breathtaking eyes. Although his are more stormy, where yours are very icy.” The dog took advantage of Bokuto’s crouched position to jump up, resting her paws on his shoulders, and licked his face. She kind of reminded him of both himself and Akaashi. She was rambunctious and loving, but also cunning. Bokuto imagined the dog’s personality was the same as if they were to have a child—not that they could have a child on their own.

When Bokuto returned to the kitchen, dog in tow, Kuroo had his face buried in his laptop as he made a list. Bokuto was about to ask Kuroo what he was doing, when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw Akaashi’s name light up the screen.

Bokuto hadn’t texted him since he had gotten off the train, which was over two hours ago. He realized he had two options: not reply to his boyfriend and possibly make him worry even more; or reply and hope that he didn’t sound too suspicious.

“Bro, who are you texting?” Kuroo asked.

“Just Akaashi.” Kuroo gave Bokuto a worried look. “What?”

“He is going to know something is up. Your texts get very suspicious when you are hiding something.”

“They do not. See!” Bokuto shoved his phone in Kuroo’s face. “I was nothing but cool.” 

##### Conversation with Akaaaaashi 😊 :

>>Bokuto-san, you didn’t get lost did you?

I did not<<  
I made it to the apartment just fine<<  
I’m just hanging out with my main bro Kuroo<<

>>Okay...  
>>Well, I’ll be home around 8p. I have a late lecture and a bit of work to do before I come back to the apartment  
>>Since I probably won’t get much work done once I get home 😉

Okay! See you at 8!!<<

>>Everything okay?

OF COURSE!!<<  
Everything is perfect here<<  
Talk to you later!<<

“Bro, you didn’t even flirt back when Akaashi was clearly trying to get you to.” Kuroo shook his head, closing his laptop and folding the list he had created and placing it in his back pocket.

“WHAT!” Bokuto looked back at his messages, and Kuroo was in fact correct. Akaashi had been trying to flirt with him and he had completely ignored it. “Do you think he suspects something?” The dog barked at Bokuto’s feet and Kuroo decided that was as good of an answer as if he had replied himself.

“Now, since I am always a nice guy, I have compiled a list of everything we need to do and get so you can keep the dog. The first thing is take her to the vet for a check-up and to make sure she doesn’t already have a family.”

Kuroo had found a vet a ten minute walk from the apartment. When they got there, they were informed they would have to wait a short while as they were neither an emergent case nor did they have an appointment. They sat in the waiting room, the dog lying on the ground underneath their chairs, for a half hour before Kuroo decided to do something about it.

He excused himself and went to talk to the receptionist. She laughed at something before getting a serious look on her face. She looked around Kuroo at Bokuto, and the man shifted in the seat. Kuroo tapped his wrist as if pointing to an imaginary watch. The woman nodded and turned around to head to the back. Kuroo walked back to his seat next to Bokuto.

“What did you say?” Bokuto asked.

“I just told her you were an Olympic athlete and we were on a schedule because you have an important practice today.”

“But I don’t have practice today,” Bokuto said.

“Bokuto Koutarou,” a nurse called from the doorway.

“Well, it got you in faster, and we are technically on a schedule.” Kuroo smirked as Bokuto walked toward the nurse, dog trailing behind at his heels.

The nurse led them to an empty room. The room reminded Bokuto of the doctor’s office: the sterile-blue wall meant to liven up the environment, a few medical instruments on the wall and counter, and a cute picture of a Shiba Inu. The nurse asked Bokuto to put the dog up on the examination table in the center of the room, telling him the vet would be in soon before leaving. He lifted the dog onto the table and gave her a few scratches behind her ears.

The dog walked around the cold metal table with light footsteps. She looked to Bokuto, confused about what exactly was happening. She plopped down on the table, sighing as she put her head on her paws. Bokuto leaned down to be eye level with her.

“I know the doctor’s office can be scary, but you know what my Keiji always tells me? He says that when you are scared, you should take a few deep breaths and remind yourself of why you shouldn’t be afraid. So you can breathe”—Bokuto inhales and then exhales slowly—“and then remind yourself that you aren’t alone.”

The dog licked Bokuto’s face, and Bokuto welcomed the kiss with a smile on his face.

The visit was short. The vet determined the dog to be in good health. She was not microchipped, and the vet offered to do it right then for him, but Bokuto did not want to press his luck. Besides, he was still unsure on whether they could keep her and if Akaashi was going to be okay with a dog. Regardless of whether they would actually be able to keep the dog, they still needed some supplies to make her more comfortable in the apartment.

“Alright, I’m going to ask about dog tags and you go get the essential supplies,” Kuroo said, handing Bokuto the list as they walked into the pet store. Before he removed his hand, he added, “just the essential supplies.”

The dog spotted a ball in the distance. She hesitated for a moment, looking back at Bokuto and Kuroo, before she decided to run after it. She disappeared down a nearby aisle as she grabbed the ball in her mouth. 

“Right right, only the essentials-”

“Bro, where did the dog go?” Kuroo asked.

“Crap. Okay, I will find her and then go get the essentials. Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.” Bokuto took off with the cart, jogging through the store—whisper-yelling for the dog they had yet to name.

Bokuto found the dog lying on the ground and gnawing on a golden rubber ball. She looked up at the man for a moment before continuing what she had been doing. When Bokuto crouched down to attempt to take the toy away, she held it tight in her mouth and turned her head away from him. Bokuto kept his hand stretched out, giving her a pout and forcing eye contact. Eventually, she let the slobbered-on ball drop into Bokuto’s hand.

“Guess we have to buy this one,” Bokuto said, inspecting the toy.

“Arf!” The dog waited for Bokuto to return his attention to her after dropping the toy in the cart before she walked up to the wall of dog toys, mimicking the pout Bokuto had done moments earlier.

“Well, maybe a few toys wouldn’t hurt. I feel that is pretty essential,” Bokuto said to himself as much as to the dog. His eyes caught sight of a stuffed owl with crinkly wings. “What about this one?”

“Arf arf!” 

Bokuto dropped the toy in the cart, and she barked again, jumping up to bop her nose onto another toy. Bokuto pulled the braided gold and black rope from the wall.

“This one too?”

“Arf!”

Bokuto looked at the two toys, and it didn’t really seem like enough. Dogs had a lot of toys, if he remembered correctly from the times he had played with his cousin’s dog. Bokuto reached and grabbed a bone from the wall.

“How about this one?”

“Arf! Arf!” The dog confirmed Bokuto’s choice, then she jumped again. This time her nose bopped on a flat squirrel toy. Bokuto grabbed that one as well.

The process continued. The dog and Bokuto took turns choosing toys, and Bokuto always asked if it was the toy she wanted—with the answer always being yes.

“So the guy said it would be ¥3000 for the ta-” Kuroo paused, seeing Bokuto mid-question for yet another toy. “What are you doing?”

“We are picking out some toys,” Bokuto said, the dog barking confirmation after him.

“You grabbed like the entire wall, she doesn’t need that much stuff,” Kuroo said frustratedly. He loved his best friend, he truly did, but Bokuto sometimes needed a little supervision—which was quite the statement coming from Kuroo. Though, if things went awry, he would be the one Akaashi would blame since “he knew better” according to the younger man.

“Well she wanted them,” Bokuto said with a shrug.

“Well, Akaashi and I don’t make much of anything as students, and you don’t make that much as a professional athlete. So how about we just get a few toys instead of the wall?” It was more of a rhetorical question.

Kuroo removed several of the dog toys (and a few cat toys) from the cart. He replaced the seven different balls Bokuto had placed in the cart (not including the one the dog had drooled on) with a set of tennis balls that was a fraction of the price. Afterwards, Kuroo and Bokuto moved through the store to get the supplies Bokuto was originally sent for. They chose a gold-colored collar before finding a worker to work the machine for the dog tag.

“Does she have a name?” The worker asked after typing in the address and number they had given to add to the tag.

“Uhhhh…” Bokuto looked at Kuroo.

“What about Akira, since she does seem pretty smart,” Kuroo said.

“Oh maybe,” Bokuto said and turned to the dog, “Do you like the name Akira?” The dog barked in response.

“Akira,” Bokuto confirmed with the worker.

“You know, I’m starting to think she will just bark every time you ask a question,” Kuroo said laughing.

“Not true!” Bokuto protested. He turned back to Akira, “Are you just barking anytime I ask you something?” Akira waited a moment before she barked again. Kuroo laughed as Bokuto pouted at his friend.

They left the store, Kuroo carrying a bag of supplies and toys in his right hand and a dog bed folded under his left arm. Bokuto carried the large, heavy bag of dog food with Akira tailing behind him. Although they had gotten a leash, Akira seemed more than happy to follow Bokuto around, so they just decided not to use it for the time being. They returned to the apartment building a little after six, and, in an attempt to avoid anyone, they took the back stairs.

After setting up Akira’s bed and toys in the living room, they realized that there was not much leftover room, which was probably why the apartment had a ‘small pets only’ rule. However, the now lack of space seemed worth it when Akira curled up in the bed with the stuffed owl they had bought her. Bokuto thanked fate again for bringing a second beautiful creature into his life—the first had obviously been Akaashi.

Looking at the mess of toys, Bokuto started to worry about how his boyfriend would take the new addition to the apartment. In hopes of bribing Akaashi into agreeing, Bokuto ordered food from a couple of Akaashi’s favorite spots, including his favorite onigiri spot in the area. Overhearing the order, Kuroo wondered how the three of them would be able to finish the feast, but he reminded himself that Bokuto was a professional athlete and always hungry and Akaashi was... Well, Akaashi was a human garbage disposal. 

When someone knocked on the door a half hour later, Bokuto assumed it was the first delivery and asked Kuroo to answer the door while he grabbed the money. Kuroo had not been expecting to open the door to his landlord.

“Hellll-oh, Saito-san. Were you scheduled for a visit?” Kuroo asked, pulling the door closed a tiny bit so he could block his landlord’s line of view from seeing too far into the apartment.

“Kuroo-san, I got a couple calls today about a large dog in the building. The tenant described two men, one with crazy white and black hair and one with messy black hair like a rooster. I wasn’t sure who the first man could be, but the second sounded an awful lot like you.”

“Me? Have a dog? I’m not sure my roommate would like that,” Kuroo said, not directly answering the question, and not lying either.

“Grrr-woof,” Akira growled from the entryway, sensing the other man behind the door. She kept her eyes forward, her body rigid and attentive to any movement.

Kuroo smiled, giving in as his landlord pushed the door open to reveal Akira standing at the edge of the small step, suspiciously eyeing the middle-aged man. Kuroo obviously couldn’t deny the presence of the dog, but he wondered if they could just pass her off as Bokuto’s—since he was technically not on the lease, so he didn’t exactly  _ live _ there.

“I got the mo-”

“Woah, are you Bokuto Koutarou?” The landlord’s eyes lit up at the sight of Bokuto as he turned the corner, cash in hand for the yet-to-come food. There was a beat of silence as the mood shifted from annoyance to admiration before he added, “Wing spiker of the Black Jackals?” 

“Yeah, that’s me,” Bokuto said with a toothy grin. Kuroo smirked; he had an idea.

“Do you like volleyball, Saito-san?” Kuroo asked, reaching back to drag Bokuto forward. Akira inserted herself in between the three of them, leaning up against Bokuto’s legs. 

“Like it? I love it!” The man said. He seemed to have forgotten about the dog, and not receiving attention, she sauntered off into the living room.

“Did you know Bokuto here is on the national team, and he is going to be training for the Olympics... with all the other national-level volleyball players.” Kuroo smiled at his landlord, placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Maybe we could work out a deal? Akaashi and I will pay the extra pet fee every month and Bo here will get you an autographed picture from the current Japan national volleyball team. In return, you make an exception for Akira.”

“Throw in a picture of Bokuto and me doing the Bokuto Beam, and you have a deal.” 

Akaashi came home a little after eight. Bokuto had been pacing nervously in the living room as Kuroo and Akira sat on the couch watching him. The moment Akaashi opened the door, Bokuto ran out, onigiri in hand, to meet his boyfriend. Before he had time to set his backpack down or take off his shoes, Bokuto was peppering him with kisses, complimenting him on how amazing he looked and how hard he worked all the time. At the first suspicious look from Akaashi, Bokuto presented the onigiri, which bought him less time than he had hoped, forgetting how quickly his boyfriend could eat.

“Bokuto-san, why are you acting weird? What did you do?” Akaashi asked, dropping his backpack to pull off his light jacket.

“Weird? I’m not acting weird. I just missed you sooooo much, Aghaashi.” Bokuto’s ears turned red.

“I missed you too.” Akaashi looked at his boyfriend skeptically as he pulled off his shoes and set them aside. He took another step into the apartment.

“But, before you enter, you need to know that I love you a lot  _ and _ that fate happened today.”

“Fate?” Akaashi knew Bokuto had done something now. 

Akira came running out into the entryway and jumped up on Akaashi.

“You got a dog?” Akaashi asked.

“No no! Like I said, fate happened. She found me today.”

Akaashi let himself pause for about half a second to decide how he felt. He imagined that Bokuto had fed the dog on his way to the apartment and she had just followed him home. The dog had been a stray, and Akaashi knew his boyfriend had a heart of gold and probably couldn’t bear the thought of her being out on the streets alone, thinking it was better for her to be inside with them. Akaashi wasn’t sure how they would be able to keep her, but she could stay with them while they looked for a family, he thought.

Akaashi knelt down, peeling the dog off of his legs and placing her paws neatly on the ground. He rubbed his hands behind her ears as she licked wet kisses on his face. Although most people assumed he was a cat person, Akaashi had always loved dogs. It was true that dogs were energetic and required a lot of attention, but he enjoyed how loving and loyal the animals were.

Akaashi turned the dog tag in his hand, reading the information.  _ Akira _ . It was a pretty name. They had used the apartment address, but the phone number was neither Bokuto’s nor Kuroo’s—it was his.

“Did you get a dog, or did you get  _ me _ a dog?” Akaashi asked, looking up at his boyfriend with a piercing gaze. “I’m not going to take care of this dog alone, Bokuto-san. I already have to take care of  _ you _ .”

“Aghaaashiii!!! Akira is  _ our  _ dog, we will take care of her together. I already started to train her. Watch.” Bokuto prompted Akira to sit, and she barked a response before walking away to the living room. “We’re still working on it.” 

Akaashi giggled behind his hand. Bokuto crossed his arms, afraid he was losing the argument. Finding another retort, he added, ”Also, ‘Ghaaaashi, I take care of you just as much as you take care of me!”

Akaashi stood up with a smile and walked past Bokuto, planting a light kiss as he passed the older man. Fully entering the apartment, Akaashi saw the feast of food that had been spread out on the coffee table in the living room, recognizing a bribe when he saw one. He accepted the food Bokuto had brought, and after hearing how Kuroo had bargained for an exception to the pet rule, Akaashi agreed that they could keep the dog. If he was being honest, he had already decided that he would like to keep her when she had jumped on him. 

Akaashi loved the way Akira followed Bokuto around, though sometimes he suspected she was probably hoping he would drop some food for her to eat. It was cute the way she followed Bokuto into the bathroom while he brushed his teeth, or into the kitchen for his nightly glass of water. The habit became slightly less cute, however, when Akira decided to jump onto the bed when Bokuto joined Akaashi for the night. 

“I imagine this is what it would be like to have a child,” Akaashi said as Akira snuggled up between the couple.

“She’s so cute,” Bokuto said, ruffling Akira’s ears. “Maybe she could sleep with us tonight?” Both Akira and Bokuto looked at Akaashi with hopeful eyes.

“Fine, I’ll just lie over here, separated from my love while he prefers the snuggle with our fur child because I have been replaced. Never again shall we be alone; never again will I get to be intimate with my boyfriend. Oh, to feel his warm embrace and make lo-”

“Sooooo dramatic Keiji, but fine,” Bokuto interrupted as he lifted Akira from the bed and carried her back to the living room, plopping her in her own bed. Akira looked up at Bokuto, and Bokuto understood why such a look from humans was called ‘puppy dog eyes.’

“Don’t give me that look, you are as bad as Keiji.” She continued to stare. Bokuto really wanted to let her sleep in the bed, but he was also a man, who had not seen his boyfriend in a couple months, so there was a lot to catch up on.

“I’ll make you a deal. You sleep out here, and I will take you on my run tomorrow morning. We can also work on wearing Keiji down about you sleeping in the bed. How does that sound?”

Akira barked and perked up, giving Bokuto a lick before curling back up in the bed and closing her eyes. Bokuto couldn’t understand what he had done to get lucky enough for his life to just keep getting better. 

**Author's Note:**

> Bonus Scene!!  
> \--  
> The door opened to reveal a tired Kenma, who seemed annoyed that his boyfriend had decided to interrupt his midday nap. “What do you want, Kuro?” Kenma asked.
> 
> “I was hoping you could maybe watch Akira. I have to meet a group for a project, and Akaashi is in classes all day.”
> 
> “What about Bokuto?” Kenma really did not want to dogsit.
> 
> “He has practice.” Kuroo leaned into the doorframe. “Please kitten, for me?”
> 
> “Fine, I will watch that wild creature,” Kenma said, opening his door wider, which Akira, who had been patiently sitting at Kuroo’s feet, took as an invitation and went running inside.
> 
> “Hey now, don’t be mean. I know you enjoy when Akira cuddles with you on the couch when you are playing video games.”
> 
> “I do not.”
> 
> “You do.”
> 
> “I do not.”
> 
> “You do.”
> 
> ...
> 
> “I do not.” Kenma shuts the door in Kuroo’s face.


End file.
